This is the most dangerous tree on the planet. A single touch from its sap causes blisters. The nickname for its fruit? 'Manzanilla de la muerte': the little apple of death.
The manchineel tree is the most dangerous tree on the planet. A single bite of the fruit can lead to death, and touching the bark, sap or leaves results in painful blisters.The most dangerous tree on the planet can be found in Mexico, the Caribbean and Southern Florida. One touch from the tree's sap causes blisters, and a single bite of its fruit can be fatal.
Seemingly every aspect of the manchineel tree is designed to cause extreme pain and even death. The Guinness Book of World Records crowned it, Christopher Columbus referred to the tree's fruit as"manzanilla de la muerte"; the little apple of death. The toxins are so strong that even standing under the tree during a rainstorm can cause excruciating pain and blisters. Even burning the wood releases the toxins, which can cause blindness for those standing too close to the smoke.
The tree can reach heights of 50 feet, with toothed leaves 2 to 4 inches long. The bark is shades of red, brown and gray, and like the fruit and leaves, is also poisonous. Indigenous people in Florida and the Caribbean used to dip arrowheads in the tree's poisonous, milky sap to kill their enemies, according to theCopyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.Dustin Jones is a reporter for NPR's digital news desk. He mainly covers breaking news, but enjoys working on long-form narrative pieces.Keep up with all the latest news, arts and culture, and TV highlights from KPBS.